Grilled Cabbage Rolls
[Main Ingredients and Seasonings]
Cabbage leaves… 6 pieces
Lean pork… 200g
Salt… 2.5g
MSG… 2g
Ginger (minced)… 5g
Spring onion (minced)… 10g
Soy sauce… 10g
Cooking wine… 15g
Sichuan peppercorn water… 15g
Chicken broth… 50g
Potato starch… 20g
Fresh ripe tomatoes… 2
Salt… 1g
Sesame oil… 5g
[Cooking Instructions]
- Remove veins from cabbage leaves, sprinkle with 1g of salt, marinate for 5 minutes, pat dry with a clean cloth, lay flat on a cutting board, and evenly sprinkle with a little potato starch.
- Finely chop the pork, add salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, Sichuan peppercorn water, minced ginger, minced spring onion, and sesame oil, mix well into a filling. Spread the filling evenly on each cabbage leaf, roll into finger-thick rolls, and make a cut in each roll to create 12 neat cabbage rolls.
- Arrange the cabbage rolls in a small baking dish, pour hot chicken broth over them, place in the oven preheated to 180°C, and bake for about 15 minutes until cooked through. Arrange neatly in two rows on a serving plate.
- Rinse the fresh ripe tomatoes, cut into butterfly-shaped slices, and arrange them around the cabbage rolls for decoration.
[Key Techniques]
- Choose pork with a ratio of 4 parts lean to 6 parts fat from the upper brain area, chop finely. If the filling is too dry, add a little chicken broth while mixing. Select tender leaves from the middle layer of large cabbage, ensuring consistent color and avoiding bitterness.
- Strictly control the baking time and temperature. Preheat the oven before baking, and adjust the temperature to ensure the cabbage rolls are golden on the outside and tender inside, presenting a neat and attractive appearance.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Cabbage can be prepared in various ways such as stewing, stir-frying, braising, pickling, mixing, and boiling, but it is uncommonly prepared by baking. This dish uses “Hetou Bai” cabbage from Taiyuan, Shanxi, which is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins, making it one of China’s famous cabbage varieties. Baked together with pork filling, it offers a unique flavor. In autumn and winter, consuming cabbage is said to be as beneficial as eating a hundred other dishes, making “Grilled Cabbage Rolls” a dish that combines vegetables and meat, providing balanced nutrition.
- This dish has a golden-yellow color with hints of green, a savory taste enhanced by a tempting smokiness, tender and juicy texture, and a neat and elegant presentation.
